Now in their 3rd year, our awards are bigger and better than ever before. This year we focus on the developmental aspect of groups and classes and the people that run the activities whilst expanding our recognition of community groups. We are delighted that Organix continue to sponsor our awards as without them they would not be possible. We are also thrilled to welcome Prima Baby & Pregnancy magazine as our supporter and you may already have seen the coverage in the latest edition of their magazine?

We had over 1,500 nominations and over 14,000 online votes in the national award categories, an amazing response and we thank everyone for taking part.

Our 3 judges spent well over 40 hours judging the awards. An immense and difficult task. They read amazing recommendations and such enthusiasm from the activity leaders across the UK. Although a cliché, they really did want to make everyone a winner. And our friends at Organix judged the Organix Food Hero award.

Our winners will be announced on live on-air on mybabyradio.com and our community award winners each received £200 of products from Mini IQ. Click here to listen to the award presentations again.

Best National Baby Development Activity

• WINNER: Water Babies [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Baby Sensory [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Gymboree [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: RhythmTime [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Sing and Sign [ Visit ]

Best National Toddler Development Activity

• WINNER: Sing and Sign [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Gymboree [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Puddle Ducks Swimming [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: RhythmTime [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Water Babies [ Visit ]

Best National Pre-schooler Development Activity

• WINNER: Gymboree [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Jo Jingles [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Music Bugs [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: RhythmTime [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Water Babies [ Visit ]

Organix Food Hero

• WINNER: Kate Sanderson and Jackie Moon of Runner Beans in Birmingham [ Visit ]

  Organix told us "At Organix we think it is important to encourage little ones to learn about healthy food whilst keeping fit and active. Kate and Jackie have a class with Runner Beans that combine both of these in a fun way and much more - what a great idea!"

• RUNNER UP: Debbie and Andrew Keeble of Ellie & Roddy's healthier children's sausages [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Steve Eveleigh of Runaround in Dingwall, Ross-shire [ Visit ]

Best New Activity

• WINNER: Runner Beans in Birmingham [ Visit ]

  Our judges were especially looking for a compelling journey or story that kick started the new activity and a demonstration of early growth as well as future potential.

  "What I most like about Runner Beans is their winning formula - a strong emphasis on fun, activity and healthy diet. It's so important to provide this activity for children up to the age of 7. By developing great habits up to this age I'm sure good habits are being developed for life. Runner Beans has massive potential for the future and could go on to make a difference to many, many lives."

  "This activity really captures the spirit of the age with its emphasis on healthy eating and physicial activity. The children and parents alike are enthusiastic about the sessions and the kids are learning a positive attitude to their health. We liked the inclusively of the class and the benefits to children with special needs. A big well done."

• RUNNER UP: Dramabuds in Carlsholton, Surrey [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Talking Tots [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Tiddlers in Liphook, Hampshire

Best Local Activity

• WINNER: Runaround in Dingwall, Ross-shire [ Visit ]

  Our judges were especially looking for an independent local activity that fulfilled a genuine local need.

  "Steve at Runaround has demonstrated a fantastic commitment to the children and to the community at large. We were particularly impressed by the care and thought with which he has laid out the play area and the face that he lays on events at no extra cost. The parents of the children who attend Runaround are full of praise for the activity. Steve is keen to move into his own premises and we hope that winning this award will encourage him to take that next step."

  "Runaround really serves its local community of Dingwall and the owner, Steve Eveleigh obviously has buckets of enthusiasm and has gone to great lengths to make this a friendly place for parents to relax whilst their children play safely, no matter what the weather. Great work so far. I hope that winning this award will enable Steve to achieve his dream to secure permanent premises."

• RUNNER UP: ChatterboxBabies in Watford [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Little Splashers in Coventry and Rugby [ Visit ]

Most Outstanding Activity or Class Leader

Our judges were especially looking for an activity or class leader that went beyond the remit of their activity as well as being passionate about what they do and why they do it. Nominations from parents were particularly important evidence when judging this award.

The standard was so high for this award the judges have awarded a highly commended as well as a winner.

• WINNER: Julie Maugham of TinyTalk in Cramlington [ Visit ]

  "Julia impressed us with her passionate enthusiasm for the people who attend her classes - both adults and children. She goes out of her way to provide information about local activities, keeps in touch with parents and carers in between the classes and arranges social activities both with and without the babies, which is a wonderful lifeline for those looking after little ones, reflected in some lovely testimonials. Julia's concern for others goes beyond baby signing, too, with her green policies and support for local and national charities. Congratulations on a richly deserved award."

  "Julie is obviously well loved by the parents and children for what she does, but with Julie it is so much more than that. It's not just what she does but who she is as an individual. She's a very special lady who goes the extra mile to support the children and parents outside of their weekly sessions too. Her strong ethos of social responsibility permeates through the groups, creating not only a welcoming, inclusive environment for her families but also green policies and social outings for parents to enjoy with and without their babies. A Truly Outstanding Activity Leader."

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Jo Tolley of Waterbabies in Dorset [ Visit ]

  "Jo has a warm and gentle approach to her teaching and the love of what she does really shines through in the parent testimonies I've read. Jo makes everyone feel confident in the water and obviously possesses an understanding and calmness about her that the parents appreciate and babies respond to. She seems prepared to go the extra mile to reassure an anxious parent or to work with a child needing additional support. An inspiring lady."

  "Jo's love for her work and for the children she teaches shone through in her application and testimonials. She came across as wonderfully caring and works hard to make each parent and child feel included. Well done."

• RUNNER UP: Sylvia Johnstone of Hulabaloo Kids in Middlesex [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Brian MacNair of Socatots in York and Ripon [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Lynne Maclaughan of Lindy Lou's in Barton Le Clay, Bedfordshire [ Visit ]
• RUNNER UP: Linda Sykes of TinyTalk in Grays, Essex [ Visit ]

Most Outstanding Committee Led Pre-School

(NB: This award is not associated with OFSTED assessment)

• WINNER: Sherwood Community Centre Playgroup in Nottingham , wins £200 of products from Mini IQ

  For this award our judges were looking for a pre-school that encapsulate the purpose of a committee led pre-school, being all about the community it serves.

  "We had no hesitation in picking Sherwood Playgroup as winner of this award. The tireless work of the staff has enabled the group to stay open against the odds, benefiting children from all backgrounds, including those with learning difficulties. We hope that they will benefit greatly from the award and go from strength to strength."

  "This group have worked their socks off to turn things around after being on the brink of closure. Now full to capacity and serving the local community again, it was a unanimous decision on the part of the judges that Sherwood deserve this award in recognition of their hard work."

• RUNNER UP: Bolton Under 5s Playgroup in Old Basing, Hampshire
• RUNNER UP: Lover and Redlynch Pre-School in Redlynch, Wiltshire

Most Outstanding Baby and Toddler Group

• WINNER: Brunton Babies in Tyne and Wear, wins £200 of products from Mini IQ

  For this award our judges were looking for a baby and toddler group that strongly demonstrated all the aspects that a community group like this should have with particular support for parents within the local area.

  "This new group is clearly a lifeline for new mums on this new housing estate. Being all about both children and the parents, Brunton Babies stood out as a strong contender for me because of the effort they go to ensure everyone feels welcome and included. With regular nights out planned for the parents and extra activities planned for the children, I believe Brunton Babies is fostering new friendships that will last a long time into the future."

  "This group has become a central part of the community. We were very impressed by the efforts made to make everyone feel welcome and to organise a wide range of activities, including nights out. It is a valuable support to both children and adults alike and is a worthy winner."

• RUNNER UP: Belhaven Toddler in Dunbar, East Lothian
• RUNNER UP: Jacobs Well Toddler Group in Guildford

We will not be awarding the Most Outstanding Volunteer award this year as unfortunately we didn't have enough nominations in this category.

Starting in January 2010... the What's On 4 2010 Awards !! Contact us if you'd like to be involved.

Organix

Organix Savoury Pots For Babies On The Move are delighted to be sponsoring these great awards for the third year running. There are so many unsung heroes out there, working hard to help children get the best start in life – this is a fantastic way to reward them!

At Organix we work very hard to create great quality food for little ones on the move, while What's On 4 Little Ones is a one-stop shop for parents who want fabulous activities for their children – it's a perfect combination and these awards are very important to us.

We are looking forward to seeing all the entries come in – and to meeting the winners in 2009! And we are particularly excited by the new Organix Food Hero Award, which will be given to a very special individual who goes the extra mile to provide children with healthy, appetising food.

Prima Baby & Pregnancy magazine and www.babyexpert.com

Prima Baby & Pregnancy magazine, Britain's fastest growing pregnancy and baby magazine, is delighted to support the WO4LO 2009 Awards' this year.

Prima Baby is proud of its reputation as a campaigning magazine, championing the causes important to new parents and mums-to-be. We're committed to helping you find excellent products and services, from gorgeous maternity wear to advice on choosing essential baby equipment. We also understand the importance of meeting other parents, and making new friends who'll give you invaluable support - especially in the early days! The classes, groups and individuals that win these awards represent the best in their fields, and offer consistently excellent support, helping make your job as a parent less about pressure and more about having fun – and lots of it!

And don't forget – you can share your experiences with other mums on the message boards at www.Babyexpert.com. We'd love to hear from you!

myBabyRadio.com

My Baby Radio is a DIGITAL online radio station that broadcasts to the UK and the rest of the world, aimed at new parents. You can tune in to the station via its website at www.mybabyradio.com

My Baby Radio are delighted that they'll be supporting the AWARDS by holding a live on-air awards ceremony on Tuesday June 9th from 2 till 5pm during the Parent Show. Two weeks prior to the event, My Baby Radio will be profiling the finalists during MUMS HOUR at 1pm. So, watch this space or go to www.mybabyradio.com for regular updates.

My Baby Radio is a great station aimed at parents and has a huge variety of weekly programming all about raising your children. With advice from experts about sleep routines, feeding, health and much more. The shows also feature real mums and dads, a Childrens Hour and specialist music shows to unwind and relax to. Past interviews on the station include Dr Miriam Stoppard, Annabel Karmel, Dr Chris Steele, TV mum Tess Daly, proud grandmother and actress Nanette Newman and many more.

Mini IQ

Mini IQ has decided to support the 2009 awards because we really do think along the same lines as What's On 4 Little Ones. Just like the service offered by WO4LO we're also all about keeping parents informed.

Through fun, interactive, educational products and services we can offer today's family the tools it needs to guarantee itself a brighter future.

We help parents find the right products to stimulate their child's development and learning style from birth to 12+. Children of all ages really engage with our books, toys and games. We offer parents' support with communication skills in very young babies, the basics of language, reading and writing, right through to the universal issues that all children face.

We are delighted to be providing prizes this year for the Most Outstanding Baby & Toddler Group, Most Outstanding Committee-Lead Pre-school and Most Outstanding Volunteer.

Sam Willoughby

Founder and managing director of What's On 4 that provide on-line directories for parents: